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Have a proper hockey body or lose WC: FIH
Perform or perish, Symonds told
Andrew Symonds
Azlan Shah Cup
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Sandeep’s brace in vain as NZ hold India
‘Entire country backed us’
Kashyap in q-finals, Jwala-Diju bow out
Jeev hails Asian resurgence
IPL runs into stormy weather
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Have a proper hockey body or lose WC: FIH
New Delhi, April 9 He said he had great regard for India and Indian hockey, but the FIH rule insisted that the host country of the World Cup must have a unified hockey body for men and women under one umbrella and not just an ad hoc arrangement to run the game as is being presently done in India under the administration of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Leandro Negre said he was happy with the way the National Stadium in New Delhi was being redone, and security concerns were also not a major issue, but having a proper hockey body in India before the World Cup was a mandatory requirement. He admitted that the IOA Ad Hoc Committee of the Indian Hockey Federation was doing a good job, but that was not enough for the conduct of the World Cup, and the IOA has been given six months to get a hockey body in place. Former IHF president KPS Gill went to court after the IOA put the hockey affairs directly under it with the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee, and the case is sub-judice. It will come up for hearing in July, but Negre insisted that it was not the FIH's concern, and it was up to the IOA to sort out the matter, and form a unified hockey association. "The internal affairs of the game has to be sorted out by the IOA. The FIH will not get involved", he explained. He said according to the FIH statute "we need India to have a unified hockey body before the World Cup, for the best of Indian hockey and for the best of the World Cup". "The FIH is a responsible body. Our decision it to hold the World Cup in Delhi", he added. India is slated to host the 2010 World Cup from March 7 to 20, in which 12 countries will participate. Negre said Pakistan would be welcome if they qualified for the World Cup, and their participation would add a lot more competitive edge to the premier hockey event. Negro said it was his first official visit to Asia after taking over as the FIH president and the first press meeting. He said he was keen that the World Cup was held in New Delhi as scheduled, but he had a "B-Plan" ready, if New Delhi flunked. He said under the B-Plan, Malaysia would be an alternate venue as the country had all the facilities to host the World Cup. Negre, who was the goal-keeper of the Spanish team during the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games where IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh participated in shooting, comes from a great sporting family as his father Pablo Negre was a renowned sportsman and sports administrator. The Fair Play Trophy in the World Cup, which India won at the 1990 World Cup in Lahore (Pakistan), is named after Pablo Negre. Addressing a packed media conference, in which Randhir Singh and FIH vice-president Antonio Von Ondarza, were also present, Negre said his hockey ties with India were "very close", and had good relations with former IHF president Ashwini Kumar. He said the international body will give its full support for the World Cup in India, which he hoped would be the "best World Cup ever". He assured that the FIH's "goal" was to hold the World Cup in Delhi, and the event would be shifted only on compelling reasons, and security concern was not one of them. "That's not an issue, and no association has expressed concern over security. Security problem can arise anywhere", he noted. Negre said the FIH project for the revival of Indian hockey was very much on. "We are willing to help, and that's why we have come here", he asserted. But there has to be a hockey association, and the game needed restructing for it to be revived in India. "This is the time for the World Cup to come to India", he stressed. IOA vice-president Aslam Khan said Spanish coach Jose Brassa's name has almost been finalised as the foreign coach of the Indian team, and once his appointment confirmed, the FIH plans for the revival of Indian hockey would be implemented in stages.
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Perform or perish, Symonds told
Melbourne, April 9 Hildtitch said Symonds, who has had a run-in with behavioural issues in the recent past, deserves one last opportunity to prove himself and has been selected in the squad largely based on his past heroics. "He's obviously not performed domestically as well as we or he would have liked, so we really had to make a decision on giving him an opportunity to see how he was going or not prior to the Twenty20 World Championships in June," he said. "We thought it was the right way to go but, as I've told Andrew, it will be up to him from now on. He's going to have to perform. "We think after everything he's done for Australian cricket, one of our all-time best one-day players, that he deserves this opportunity. But it will be up to him now to seize that chance," he added. Symonds, playing for Queensland, had a disappointing outing in the domestic circuit this season, scoring mere 197 runs in eight first-class matches at an average of 15.15. Meanwhile, skipper Ricky Ponting, who alongwith Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson, has been rested for the ODI series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from April 22, welcomed Symonds's inclusion in the squad. "He's a very important player in our overall set-up. Yes, he is working through his fair share of issues and everything. But once he gets back around us then I'm sure that he'll have an impact on our team with his on-field performances," he was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'. — PTI
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Sandeep’s brace in vain as NZ hold India
Ipoh (Malaysia), April 9
Richard Petherick's eighth minute strike put the Kiwis ahead but Sandeep scored the equaliser in the 27th minute and struck once again in the 48th minute to snatch the lead. For New Zealand, Joseph Barth Holomew sounded the board in the 63rd minute to restore parity. India and New Zealand both have five points even though Sandeep's men enjoy a superior goal average in the tournament. On a high after their 3-0 win against Malaysia yesterday, India were in for an early jolt when Richard Petherick found the target in the eighth minute. India made repeated inroads before tasting success in the 27th minute through their captain, which ensured they went into the lemon-break at 1-1. Sandeep was at it again in the second half to put India in the lead but their perennial tendency to concede late goals showed no signs of relenting. The defence, which withstood many a Kiwi onslaught, could not see through the last few minutes and wilted before Joseph Barth Holomew to settle for a draw. After a rest day tomorrow, India play their final league match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday while New Zealand take on Malaysia on the same day. — PTI
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Sandeep’s brace in vain as NZ hold India
Ipoh (Malaysia), April 9 Richard Petherick's eighth minute strike put the Kiwis ahead but Sandeep scored the equaliser in the 27th minute and struck once again in the 48th minute to snatch the lead. For New Zealand, Joseph Barth Holomew sounded the board in the 63rd minute to restore parity. India and New Zealand both have five points even though Sandeep's men enjoy a superior goal average in the tournament. On a high after their 3-0 win against Malaysia yesterday, India were in for an early jolt when Richard Petherick found the target in the eighth minute. India made repeated inroads before tasting success in the 27th minute through their captain, which ensured they went into the lemon-break at 1-1. Sandeep was at it again in the second half to put India in the lead but their perennial tendency to concede late goals showed no signs of relenting. The defence, which withstood many a Kiwi onslaught, could not see through the last few minutes and wilted before Joseph Barth Holomew to settle for a draw. After a rest day tomorrow, India play their final league match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday while New Zealand take on Malaysia on the same day.
— PTI |
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New Delhi/Mumbai, April 9 While charismatic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, man-of-the-series Gautam Gambhir, opener Virender Sehwag, pacer Ishant Sharma and spinner Amit Mishra landed at the capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport, Sachin Tendulkar and four others - Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni - returned to a tumultous welcome in Mumbai. The south-based cricketers, including stalwarts Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman, went directly to their respective cities. Under Dhoni, India defeated New Zealand in their own backyard in a Test series for the first time since Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team had vanquished the Kiwis in 1967-68. Tendulkar thanked the countrymen soon after landing in Mumbai, saying the entire nation supported the team in its quest of creating history on Kiwi soil. "It's an achievement. Everyone is happy. The entire country has supported us. It was victory after 41 years," the champion batsman told reporters at the Sahar airport. — PTI
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Barca thrash Bayern
Hamburg, April 9 Lionel Messi netted a brace for the Spanish league leaders while Branislav Ivanovic also scored twice for Chelsea to leave both sides in a strong position Wednesday ahead of next week's second-leg ties. Barcelona struck twice in the first 15 minutes against Bayern at the Camp Nou as the German champions once again paid the price for their defensive frailties. Jurgen Klinsmann's side travelled to the Catalan capital on the back of a 5-1 thumping by VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga at the weekend and went behind after just nine minutes when Samuel Eto'o set up Messi for the Argentine international to make it 1-0. Messi turned provider three minutes later when he cut in from the right before finding Eto'o with a sublime pass and the Cameroon striker duly slotted the ball past Hans-Jorg Butt in the Bayern goal. Barca had to wait until seven minutes before the break to add to their tally when Thierry Henry burst past Massimo Oddo before crossing for Messi to tap in his second of the game. Henry made it 4-0 two minute before the break after being set up by Eto'o to leave Barcelona all but assured of a semi-final berth against Liverpool or Chelsea. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the result had "shocked" the Bundesliga giants. Like Barca, Guus Hiddink's Chelsea side will be strong favourites to progress thanks to the 3-1 away win although they started the poorer against their English Premier League rivals. — DPA
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Kashyap in q-finals, Jwala-Diju bow out
New Delhi, April 9 Kashyap emerged as the lone Indian survivor after beating Nguyen 21-19, 17-21, 21-11 in the pre-quarter final match to set up a clash with fourth-seed Chinese Bao Chunlai, who beat Kuan Beng Hong of Malaysia 21-16, 10-21, 21-13 in another match. Diju and Gutta failed to carry on their recent impressive form, losing 17-21,21-11,18-21 to Malaysian pair of Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying in a gruelling 41-minute second round encounter. Down 1-0, the seventh-seed Indian duo led a spirited fightback to win the next game 21-11 but eventually ran out of steam as the Malaysians sealed the match 21-18. Kashyap beat 15th seed Hong Ji Hoon of Korea 21-14, 7-21, 21-19 in a 53-minute match to sail into the pre-quarters but compatriot Anand Pawar went down to Minh 21-16, 15-21, 16-21 in a 51-minute clash. India's men doubles pair of Rupesh Kumar and Thomas Sanave also made an early exit after losing 18-21, 19-21 against Chinese pair of Xu Chen and Guo Zhendong in the first round.
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Jeev hails Asian resurgence
Augusta (Georgia), April 9 "I think it's fantastic. Golf is a global sport and it's good to see so many Asians qualifying for the Masters," said Jeev, who is paired with Tiger Woods and Stewart Cink for the first two rounds in his third Masters appearance. "In the future, you will see more Asians coming through. There is a lot of depth on the Asian Tour and a lot of good standard coming out from Asia. "People recognise our performances and it's good to see this happening," added Jeev, who notched up a career first top-10 in a major at last year's US PGA Championship and a fourth place outing at the recent WGC-CA Championship in Doral.
— PTI |
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Johannesburg, April 9 An urgent meeting was held recently at the offices of the Western Province Cricket Association in which senior representatives of Cricket South Africa, WPCA, IPL, WPCC club manager Gerrit Engelbrecht and club chairman Paul Burton was held to resolve the problems. The issues related to ticket pricing and allocation for WPCC members, food and beverages within the pavilion at the Sahara Park Newlands cricket ground which hosts the matches and hospitality rights for the 14 suites on the upper level of the club's pavilion, Burton said in a message to the WPCC members posted on the club's website. "The view of the WPCC Committee is that first and foremost the rights of WPCC and its members must be upheld. If absolutely necessary, the club will seek urgent relief from any unlawful restrictions or regulations placed on it," Burton has warned. A statement issued by Andre Odendaal, Chief Executive of WPCA, said that the WPCC suite holders would have to give total access to the IPL for using the suites and, in exchange, they would be getting free tickets for the matches, according to a report on the website www.iol.co.za. Odendaal said the IPL organisers had "insisted that, as a non-negotiable requirement for the hosting of the eight matches in Cape Town", they (IPL) required access to all the suites. The WPCA CEO also warned the WPCC members that if they are unable to deliver their suites to the IPL "Cape Town and cricket in Western Cape will be the ultimate loser", the website reported. In response, WPCC chairman Burton said that IPL was great for cricket, for Cape Town and for South Africa, and the club was willing and able to help the IPL and CSA in many ways. "But we are not prepared to capitulate to demands or unreasonable requests that would prejudice our rights, would impact negatively on WPCC members and business partners and could leave the club open to breaches of its agreements and potentially liable for damages." As a consequence to the stand-off, ticket sales to WPCC members have been kept on hold and it was anticipated to commence only on April 14, Burton said. — PTI
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Melbourne, April 9
New Delhi/Mumbai, April 9
